Crispy Black Bean and Corn Tacos
Corn tortillas crisped on the stovetop and filled with golden black beans, sweet corn, melted cheddar, avocado and a squeeze of lime. A fast, savory taco night for one.
- Total
- 15 min
- Prep 6 · Cook 9
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sautéing · Searing
- Savory
- Quick
- Mexican
- Crispy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Drain the black beans in a colander and shake them dry. Grate the cheddar. Finely dice the red onion. Halve the avocado, scoop the flesh and slice it, then cut the lime into wedges.
~6 min
-
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the red onion and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 3 minutes.
~3 min
Cooking onion in shimmering oil softens its sharp bite and starts browning for deeper flavor.
Sautéing Keep the onion moving in shimmering oil so it softens and browns evenly without scorching; if it darkens too fast, lower the heat.
-
Add the black beans and corn to the skillet with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.125 tsp black pepper. Cook, pressing the beans lightly with the spatula, until they are hot and some edges turn golden and crisp, about 3 minutes.
~3 min
Pressing beans against hot oil dries their surface, so edges crisp and turn golden instead of steaming.
Dry the drained black beans well before they hit the pan: surface moisture steams them, while a dry bean pressed against hot oil turns golden and crisp at the edges.
Searing Pat ingredients dry and use a hot pan; press beans and tortillas flat so they make full contact and crisp golden instead of steaming.
-
Push the filling to one side of the skillet. Lay a tortilla flat in the pan and scatter 20 g cheddar over it. Cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is golden and crisp underneath, about 1 minute. Repeat with the second tortilla and the remaining 20 g cheddar.
~1 min
Laying the tortilla flat in hot oil lets the cheese melt while the underside crisps for crunch.
Searing Pat ingredients dry and use a hot pan; press beans and tortillas flat so they make full contact and crisp golden instead of steaming.
-
Fill each crisp tortilla with the black bean and corn mixture, top with the avocado slices and squeeze over the lime wedges. Eat right away while the tortillas are still crunchy.
~1 min